sangster



.T. SANGSTER.

POSTAGE AND REVENUE STAMPS.

Patented May1,1877.

Qua

MPETERS. iN OTO -UTNOGRAPHER WASNINGTON. D. .C,

JmunssnriesTER, or' BUFFALO,"tawtro inssreroa6F o' LHALF f His RIGHT TO ROBERT DUNBAR & oo.,-. orsAMn PLAGUE. Y

-| M PRovEM ENrnr fiosTA EJAN o R E'i/ENUE sfi'AMPs.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent bio-130,376, dated May 1,1877; application filed March 17, 1877.

'new and useful Improvements in Postage or other Stamps, which improvements are fully set forth and described in the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a postage-stamp partly finished. Fig.2 represents a finished stamp; and Fig. 3 represents the stamp as it would appear after the removal, or attempted removal, of the canceling-ink by the process known as washing, for the purpose of fraudulent reuse. Y

My invention is designed for postage, revenue, or other stamps. 'Its object is to prevent the washing or otherwise cleaning of the stamps after cancellation; and it consists of a postage or other stamp having the printed surface composed of two or more different materials, one kind of which is without color, and of itself is never intended to show any, or be "isible, and is capable of absorbing water only to such an extent that it will stand nearly as much rubbing to-remove the postagestamp printing-ink above it as would be required to remove the canceling -ink, which may reach the paper through the numerous interstices between the lines of the printingink which forms the stamp, and the first or soluble material, the other kind being the ordinary printing-ink used for that purpose, or other oily or resinous ink.

The first or soluble material is printed, ruled, or otherwise placed upon the paper, in straight, wavy, circular, parallel, or irregular lines, or in small dots, covering as much of the surface of the stamp as may be desired; or said lines or dots may be arranged in the form of designs, if necessary, after which the usual postage or other stamp design, or its equivalent for the purpose, is printed thereon by means of the well-known printers ink for that purpose, or any other suitable oily or resinous ink, the object being to so make the face of the stamp that when an attempt is made to wash or rub out the canceling-ink mark, the soluble material will easily dissolve, and allow those portions of the stamp printed with ordinary or oily printing-ink overlaying it to be washed out, so as to expose the paper below it, while those parts which do not overlay the first material, and are consequently in direct contact with the paper, remain, thereby leaving only parts of the oily ink, and effectually destroying the appearance of the stamp.

A in the drawing represents lines printed or otherwise placed on the face of the stamp in the soluble material. These lines are without color, and are not intended to be visible.

This is the first operation, and prepares the paper to receive the printing of the postage stamp design with the ordinary printing-ink used for that purpose. The interstices between these lines afi'ord openings both for the printingdnk and the canceling-ink employed to reach the paper, and thereby become more firmly fixed.

This arrangement also affords greater facilities for the water, or its equivalent, to pass through the numerous interstices or openings between the lines to reach the soluble material, and undermine those parts of the oily material or ink overlying the lines of the said soluble material when an attempt is made to, wash the canceling-marks off.

The soluble material employed maybe made with water and gum-arabic, starch, gelatine, dextrine, or other equivalent material for the purpose. Sugar or other similar matter may be added to increase its affinity for water, if required; but it should not be too sensitive, so as to be affected by the least moisture, enough only of such material being mixed with the water to insure it running or print ing well, and the removal of the portions of the oily ink while the canceling-ink is being washed oil.

If desired, any particular part of the stamp may be made to wash out, so as to show the word canceled, or figures, numbers, or the amount of the stamp.

I am aware that it is not new to provide and cover the face of a stamp with a coating of soluble material or size, or other material solubleinwater,and removed by moisture and friction, upon which a design is printed in carbon or ordinary printing-ink, as illustrated, for instance, in the patent granted to L. ll.

G. Ehrhardt, August 1,1876, and such Ido not claim, broadly; but

What I claim is- A postage or other stamp, one surfaee'of which is provided or printed with a series of fine lines or dots in a colorless material, soluble in water, and over or on which rests the desired design, printed in ordinary printers ink, whereby such portions only of the printing-ink lines composing such design, which rest uponthe lines of the soluble material, may be removed by theapplication of a liquid, and rubbing with a force suffieient to remove, or

partlyremove, the ink which may be used in the cancellation of the stamp, substantially as and'for the purposes described.

V JAMES SANGSTER.

Witnesses:

(3120. H. DUNBAR, C. L.:Ponn. 

